And We're Not Just Talkin' Turkey!

Ahhh, Spring is  in the air and we turn to love. Love comes in many forms. Romeo and Juliet. Bonny & Clyde. Sampson & Delilah.
Christmas & Thanksgiving.


Yup, ya got that right: Christmas & Thanksgiving. Our 2 new start crossed lovers at Pine Grove Farm .

 

These turkeys were gifts from a very generous Cow Share Holder. They were brought in this week and have already set up "house". Christmas has even laid her first egg!

Alas and alack: as with all good love stories, ours comes with it's own bit of drama. You see,they arrived last Friday afternoon and were soon strutting around the farm yard acting as turkeys will act. Thanksgiving likes to show off his manliness, and true to form, was all puffed up with nowhere to go. Christmas was just a bit more curious about her new home , and thought she'd take a stroll.

By late Saturday afternoon, she had seen the whole yard and was bored. So Christmas walked,

and walked, 

and walked,   and walked.


And the Farm Family looked, and looked, and looked, and looked. We'd not wanted Christmas to come that badly since we were kids! But no Christmas, and it was getting too dark to see. The search for Christmas had to be put off until morning. *sigh*


On Sunday Christmas still hadn't come. And, by now, Thanksgiving was feeling the loss of his lady.

He moped around the yard, seeking his love. 

Then comes Monday. The Farmer's Daughter gets a call from a childhood friend, "Do you know anything about turkeys?" This friend asked.
"Yeesss,"she answered sheepishly
"Well, my Grandparents have this turkey that showed up the other day....."


In her desire to see the grass on the other side, our Christmas crossed the creek (Turkey Run, how apropos), and meandered over 1/4 mile to Grandma's House. 


Well, she was returned to her Thanksgiving as soon as possible.

So when you visit us, remember our new love birds and remember that Thanksgiving likes to impress with his plumage. He's just a big softy at heart

~God Bless,

Pine Grove Farm

*1/2 A Day In The Life*

What do we do all day here on the Farm? We thought you'd never ask! (But since we didn't have the camera around during the morning work, we can only show you 1/2 of it! heehee)

We finally were able to finish the green house! Can't wait to see what a difference this will make in our veg production this year...

Here's The Farmer putting the finishing touches on..

And here she is! All ready for cold weather....so I guess we'll have to wait for some. =)

The Farmer's Daughter helped to put in a small portion of our pepper plants. This is just one of our raised beds:

After MUCH weeding, tilling, and planting, the peppers are all tucked into their new bed!
                                             "TA-DA!"


We've been working to clear the site of the Old Woolen Mill here on the Farm in order to build it up as a barn. With the Farmer's wonderful excavation work, we're now able to see how much work we have left to do. It's great to see a dream take shape!

And here's the happy couple now: The Farmer and The Farmer's Wife! (Couldn't get them in the same shot, ........




We're just too darn busy around this here place! =)

*Come, Learn to Make Cheese With Us!*

Cheese, Please !

--- Making Cheese on your own can seem daunting, but only until you learn a few easy steps. Nature intended milk to convert to cheese for longer storage, and all you have to do is learn to understand and guide the process so that you can end up with the type of cheese you desire.

In this beginner's class, we will start with basic cheese recipes, such as Rennet Cheese, Chevre' and a basic hard cow's milk cheese. We will also discuss Latin American "White Cheese" and Ricotta. Also, along with cheese, butter, and yogurt. Recipes and sources for cultures, enzymes, molds, and molds (yes even the yucky looking green stuff!) will be distributed.

Sample cheese and crackers as you learn.
Class includes:
~Cheese samples
~Recipes
~Sources List

Class Fee: $35
Starting June 19, 2010 @ 10:00 am

Shearing The Sheep

We were so happy to see a good turnout today for our Sheep Shearing Day! Even with the clouds dropping their rain on us, we still had a fun time meeting with you, and sharing what we do here on the Farm.  (We're equally happy that no one complained when forced to step in our very own Farm Poop!)  

Here are some very patient folks lined up watching the first sheep to be sheared...

And here is one not-so-patient onlooker... ;-)

After the first sheep was done, the rain began. This meant that we all trooped into the barn to insure we stayed dry. We each stayed dry, and got a very up-close look at the entire shearing process. (We also had a great view of a curious cow, and the Llama latrine.)

Some of the sheep didn't particularly want to be sheared though....

Thanks, again, to everyone who came to learn more about the Farm.  Those of you who did were the first to hear about our upcoming classes. Although we don't have a calendar yet, we will be having classes this summer and into the fall. Just keep an eye out for info here, on our Facebook Page, or in the Farm Shop!

God Bless,
~Pine Grove Farm

Grand Opening!

After much preparation,  planning, and perspiration Pine Grove Farm is more than happy to announce the opening of our very own General Mercantile down in the Farm Shop!  This has been one of our long range plans for the Shop for quite some time.

In the Mercantile we offer things such as Farm-Yard dirt,  yarn, and wool roving. You will now ,also, find pieces of hand fashioned craftsmanship. Each of these pieces are traditional, American, handicraft produced locally by Friends of Pine Grove Farm.

Our goal is to eventually bring to market all, or most, of the Time-Honored Goods which you would have found in Great-Grandma's Pantry. Things such as Hand-Made Soaps,  Hand-Woven Rugs, Knitted Items,  Pottery, and Wooden furniture. We are not there yet, and may never be without your help in some very important areas.

In order to insure the safety and integrity of the Farm Shop, it's goods, and of you dear Farm Friends, it is necessary for each of us to respect and care for these consignment items. On your trips to the Farm Shop, you will see ever-increasing amounts of  items upon the shelves. Some of these are on consignment (you'll see the tags marked clearly) and some of these are display antiques owned by the Farmer and the Farmer's Wife.  While in the Shop, please be aware that some of these items can be easily broken, and require "kid gloves". Therefore, please take a few moments to make certain that all young hands are being held in larger hands while visiting the Shop. This will help to keep the integrity of our relationship with all of our Farm Friends who have invested so much of themselves into their products.

 There is one, final way, in which all of you can help us here at the Farm. Tell all of  your friends about us and what we have to offer here. Call the Farmer's Wife and set up a time for you to bring some friends to meet her. Realize that each and every one of you plays such an important part in our lives, and we love to offer these services (and more to come!!) to all of you.

Thanks so much for growing with us!

~Heidi

From Real Milk.com....

The Health Benefits Of Raw Milk
From Grass-Fed Animals

By Ron Schmid, ND
In 1970, I went to live on the island of Martha's Vineyard. I was quite ill with gastrointestinal problems. I began living mostly on seafood, fresh vegetables and salads, and raw milk and eggs purchased from a local farmer, with a little meat and whole grain bread. My health problems, which had been intractable for years, disappeared.
Raw milk remained a mainstay of my diet. Since 1981 I have strongly recommended raw milk to thousands of people who have seen me in my practice as a naturopathic physician. I practice in Connecticut, where we enjoy the right to purchase certified raw milk throughout the state (with the exception of the town of Fairfield, where a fascist local health board has instituted an unchallenged-for-lack-of-funds town ordinance prohibiting the sale of raw milk.)
The raw milk available in the part of Connecticut where I live is from Debra Tyler's farm in Cornwall Bridge, called "Local Farm." Debra has nine cows on fourteen acres. Eight health food stores in central and northern Connecticut pick up milk regularly at Local Farm. There are about a dozen other certified raw milk dairies among Connecticut's 210 dairy farms.
Debra has Jersey cows. Most farms have Holsteins, which provide large quantities of milk, but milk that is lower in protein, fat and calcium. Jerseys were originally bred by the French to produce milk for cheese making. The fat content of Debra's milk during the warm months is about 4.8 percent, well above the normal 3.5 percent for whole milk. Debra's cows eat mostly grass in the spring, summer and fall, and mostly hay in the winter (each cow consumes a forty pound bale a day!), with a few pounds a day of ground corn and roasted soybeans (five to one corn to soybeans ratio).
Local Farm milk is certified organic. Certification costs several hundred dollars a year in fees and considerable paperwork. It also means that Debra must sometimes pay more for certified feed from faraway places than for locally produced feed she knows to be organic but which is not certified. This raises the question-if you know and trust the local farmers who produce your food, does it really have to be certified?



*You can read more of this article at     http://www.realmilk.com/healthbenefits.html 

Buttermilk Answers

We have received a few questions about buttermilk lately.

Although we make farm-fresh butter available to  our cow-share holders, learning to create a traditional food is always empowering. To that end, we want to share some very informative links to help you educate your self and your family on butter, cultured  buttermilk (what is found in the stores) , and  old-fashioned buttermilk.

It was my intention to write this article by myself. However, as I researched the web for more information, I was astounded to find all you need with just a few, quick, clicks.

 This first link is copyrighted by  David B. Fankhauser, Ph.D.,Professor of Biology and Chemistry  at the University of Cincinnati Clermont College. I found this  to be the easiest for me to read and the most informative. 

The second link is written in a very easy-to-read format and, in my opinion, is great for those of us with an adventurous 'can-do' spirit.

I hope that these links help you to  become more informed  as you  begin your own journey into the world of buttermilk making. Good luck!

*Don't forget!! This Wednesday (April 28) is Pine Grove Farm's sheep shearing day! We hope to see you and some friends join us for an afternoon (2-4) of fun and learning. You'll get to take home a pinch of raw fleece and the Farmer's Wife will be on hand to answer any questions about farm life and our cow-share program.*

(Suggested  donation of $3/person 9 & under are free!)